Answer to Question #176393 in Biochemistry for Fadi Sheikh

Question

The weight of person ABC is 65 kg. About 11.5kg of his weight is due to fat deposits in his body. He went for a hunger strike. Can you explain how long he can survive?

1. Without food and water

2. With water and without food

Answer 1

The body can survive for 8 to 21 days without food and water and up to two months if there's access to an adequate water intake. Fat people would only be able to survive for longer if they had enough vital water-soluble B vitamins in their system to help metabolise fat stores. So it is possible that a person could die of starvation and still be fat.

If you stop eating and drinking, death can occur as early as a few days, though for most people, approximately ten days is the norm. In rare instances, the process can take as long as several weeks. It depends on your age, illness, and nutritional status.

Humans need food and water to survive. At least 60% of the adult body is made of water. A human can go without food for about three weeks but would typically only last three to four days without water.

A human can go for more than three weeks without food but water is a different story.